Refrigerating apparatus



May 193i). L. M. KEIGHLEY REFRGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 30, 1927 mxmxxxw gmmmo@ actor ne,

May 13, 1930. M. KEIGHLEY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed July 30, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 13, 1930 LLOYD M. KEIGHLEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO,

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS Application iled July 30,

The present invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to cooling units of such apparatus.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved cooling unit which will cool or congeal a substance quickly and which will cool circulating air in an efficient manner.

Another object is to construct and arrange the refrigerant conduit of a cooling unit so that greater portions thereof are in thermal Contact with the freezing compartments or sleeves and to construct and arrange the conduits so that the manufacture of the unit is facilitated.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the improved cooling unit installed in a refrigerator cabinet;

Fig. 2 is a view of the cooling unit on a somewhat larger scale and showing a fragmentary sectional view of the c'abinet;

Fig. 3 is a sectionalA view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the cooling unit on a larger scale and showing the ice trays removed; and

Fig. 5 is a side view the direction of arrow 5.

Referring to the drawings and for the purpose of illustrating the present invention,

of Fig. 4 looking in cooling unit 2O is herein shown as applied to the household refrigerator cabinet 21. This cabinet is provided with a cooling compartment 22 and an L-shaped food storage compartment 23 which compartments are separated by an insulating wall 24. The wall 24 is provided with an air passage 25 below thecooling unit 20 and with an air passage 26 on one side and slightly above the cooling unit.

The unit 20 includes a header 28 which is supported from the top wall of the cabinet by bracket 29. This header is adapted to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant which is con- 1927. serial No. 209,553.

ducted thereto by pipe 30 and the flow of said liquid may be controlled by a fioat valve (not shown) contained within the header, and vaporized refrigerant is withdrawn from the header thru a pipe 31.

A set of ducts 33 are connected with the header 28 in parallel circuit relation and are arranged to receivei liquid refrigerant therefrom. Each of these ducts is provided with branch portions 34 which is joined by a horizontal yoke portion at the lower end thereof and with horizontal portions 36 which are vconnected with the header 28. A plurality of ducts 40 are also connected in parallel circuit relation and adapted to" receive liquid refrigerant from the header 28. Duets 40, which are -herein shown as loops, are identical in contour and arranged in staggered relation by alternately reversing the coils. That is, considering that each loop includes vertically disposed branch or leg portions 41 and 42, the branch portion 41 of one loop extends to the right of the header, and the branch portion 41 of the next adjacent loop extends to the left of said header. By virture of this arrangement of loops 40, two sets of loops are provided, each of the loops hav,- ing branches in spaced alignment and the loops of one set alternating with the loops of the other sets. The arrangement is such that the branch portion 42 of both sets are in vertical alignment and are connected with the lower end of the header 28. The lower end of the loops 40 are joined by a yoke portion 43 and the upper end of branch 41 is joined with the header by a portion 44.

The major part of portions 36 and 35 of loops 33 lie within the boundary of loops` 40 and the major portionv of branches 41 of loops 40 lie within the boundary of loops 33. Thus the portions 35, 36 and 41 enclose a freezing space or zone which is herein shown as containing four ice tray sleeves 45 which are arranged to receive ice trays .46. Two of these sleeves 45 are placed on one side of branch portion 42 and two are placed on the other side. These sleeves are preferably thermally connected at the top with the portions 36 on the bottom with the portions 35, and on the sides with the portions 41 and 42.

. tend longitudinally .is surrounded by the air f between the sleeves and "ai The yoke portions 43 and portions 44 of loops 40 and the branch portions 34 `if loops 33 extend remotely from the freezing space and provide an air cooling part for cooling the storage-compartment-circulating air. It will be noted also that these portions exin the path of flow of air and are therefore very eilective for cooling such air. Thus it is apparent that these latter named portions are utilized primarily for cooling circulating air while the portions 35, 36, 41 and 42 are utilized primarily for freezing or congealing a substance within the freezing space and since the freezing portion cooling portions, the freezing portions will be maintained at a relatively lower temperature than the air cooling portions. By arranging the coils as herein shown the portions 42 of both sets of loops divide the freezing space into two comartments and by arranging said portions in alignment three sides of each of the four sleeves are in thermal contact with the refrigerant conducting conduits. In this manner the sleeves are maintained at a relatively low temperature and will freeze or congeal a substance quickly.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the coils can be bent on a relatively large radius and therefore they are less apt to crack while being formed. By constructing and arranging the loops as herein shown in which portions of each loop lies adjacent the freezing space and another portion lies remote from the freezing space, the bend in the loop can be made in the remote art where an abrupt bend is not necessary. Thus by virtue of this construction substantially the entire freezing .space is bounded by portions of the loops and three sides of each of a plurality of rectangular shaped sleeves can be arranged in thermal contact with the ducts. rhus it is apparent that by this construction, goed thermal coi'tact is obtained and it is neces- .fi shapes only 'r cooling porma be bent sary to provide leaps t, which loops also provide tion at which po; ions tlif on a large radius,

' the form o? i s :ant of the presed, constitutes lerst-oi that ei, all coming which follow.

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. :us a cooling init f l of duct loops, eertn. A id dum, loog l: ng offset from fle lprovide a rality of com- "fi, to recei .if

ice-making reio'fp havin i portion coopng portions ot' dividing wall 1i rtrneilts.

, ting apparatus, a cooling unit comprising a plurality of supports for horizontally elongated ice-trays disposed laterally with respect to one another and each having a. side wall, a set of ductloops surrounding one of said supports, a second set of duct loops surrounding another support, said sets having adjacent portions extending between said supports and in intimate thermal contacttherewith.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit comprising a plurality of supports Jfor horizonally elongated ice-trays disposed laterally with respect to one another and each having a side wall, a set of duct loops surrounding one of said supports, a second set of duct loops surrounding another support, each loop having a portion extending between and thermally connected with the side wall of each of said supports.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit comprising a header, a plurality of duct loops for circulating refrigerating medium connected with'the header in parallel, certain of said duct loops being offset from other loops to provide a plurality of compartments -adapted to receive ice-making receptacles,

each loop having a portion cooperating with the corresponding ortions of the other loops for providing a dividing wall between said compartments.

5. In a rerigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising a plurality of duct loops, one group of said loops being in longitudinal alignment to form a compartment and another group of said loops being in longitudinal alignment off set from the first groupl to form a second compartment, and portions o? the loops in one group being in alignment longitudinally of the compartments with portions of the loops of the other groups.

6. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising an ice-tray compartment having two pairs of opposite sides, and a plurality of duct loops for cooling said compartment, certain of said loops being thermally connected with both sides of one pair and spaced from the sides of the other pair, and other of said loo-ps being thermally connected with both sides of said other pair.

In a refrigerating apparatus, arefrigeratir g element comprising an ice-tray compartment having two pairs of opposite sides, and a plurality of duct loops for cooling said cn'nipaiiment, certain of said loops being thermally connected with both sides of one. and spaced from the sides of the other pair, and` other of said loops being thermally connected with both sides of sait1 other pair and spaced. .from the sides of the first men tiencd pair.

8. In a icefrigerating apparatus, a relrigiai-ating element comprising a plurality of ice-tray compartments each having two pairs ofiE opposite sides, said compartments briifg disposed laterally with respect to each other, a group 0f ducts for circulating refrigeratlng medium, each of said ducts extending between said compartments and being in thermal contact with both the sides of one pair of a compartment, and a second group of ducts each of which is thermally connected with both sides of the other pairs of the compartments.

9. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising a header, a group of duct loops connected to the header in parallel circuit relation and disposed in longitudinal alignment along the header, a second group of duct loops connected to the header in parallel circuit relation and disposed in longitudinal alignment off set from said first group, upright portions of the loops in one group being in longitudinal alignment with upright portions of the loops of the other groups. 10. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising a header, a plurality of iee-tray sleeves each having a plurality of pairs of opposite walls, said sleeves being disposed laterally with respect to each other, a group of ducts connected with the header in parallel circuit relation each of said ducts extending betweenl said sleeves and being in thermal' contact with both walls of one pair of a sleeve, and a second group of ducts connected with the header in parallel circuit relation and connected thermally with both sides of the other pairs of the sleeves.

l1. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element including a pair of sleeves each having two pairs of yopposite walls, a group of refrigerant duct loops extending between the sleeves and in thermal contact with both walls of one pair of one sleeve, a second group of refrigerant duct loops extending between the sleeves and being in thermal contact with both walls of one pair of the other sleeve, and a third group of duct loops in thermal contact with both walls of the other pairs of both sleeves.

12. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising in combination a header, a pair of ice-tray sleeves disposed side by side and longitudinally placed with respect to the header, a group of duct loops connected with the header in parallel circuit relation, each of said loops passing between the sleeves and being in thermal contact with both walls of one pair of one sleeve, a second group of duct loops connected to the header in parallel circuit relation each of said groups extending between the sleeves and being in thermal contact with both' walls of one pair of the other sleeve, a third group of duct loops connected with the header in parallel circuitrelation and being in thermal contact -with both walls of the other pairs of both sleeves.

13. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising in combination a header, a pair of ice-tray sleeves disposed side by side and longitudinally placed with respect to theheader, a group of duct loops connected with the header in parallel circuit relation, each of said loops passing between the sleeves and being in thermal contact with both walls of' one pair of one sleeve, a second group of duct loops connected to the header in parallel circuit relation each of said groups extending between the sleeves and heirfr in thermal contact with both walls of one pair of the other sleeve, a third group of duct loops connected with the header in parallel circuit relation and being in thermal contact with both walls ofthe other pairs of both sleeves, said last mentioned ducts having portions extending laterally from and out of contact with said sleeves for cooling circulating air. y

14. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising duct means providing a compartment, a support for an ice tray within the compartment, said duct means including a duct' adjacent the side of the support and a duct having a portion thermally connected with the bottom of the support and having a portion disposed outwardly of the lirst duct, the outwardly disposed portion extending a substantial distance upwardly along the side of the compartment.

15. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising duct means providing a compartment, a support for an ice tray within the compartment, said duct means including a duct thermally connected with the side of the support and aduct having a portion thermally connected with the bottom of the support and having a portion disposed outwardly of the first duet, the outwardly disposed portion extending a substantial disstance upwardly along' the side of the compartment. A

16. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising duct means providing a compartment, a support for an ice tray within the compartment, said duet means including a-duct adjacent the side of the support and including a plurality of ducts thermally connected with the bottom of said support,'said ducts including portions disposed outwardly of the irst duct, the outwardly disposed portion extending a substantial distance upwardly along the side of the compartment and spaced from one another for the passa e of air therethrough.

17. In a re rigerating apparatus, a refrigerating element comprising duct means providing a compartment, a support for an ice tray within the compartment, said duct means including a duct adjacent the side of the support and including a plurality of duct loops thermally connected with the bottom of said support, said loops including portions disposed outwardly of said first duct, the outwardly disposed portion extending a sub- 'y along the side of paced from one anni therethrough.

sus@ 1f) t npwfl, the fxompar .111int and ether for the:

i8* In a. n A apparame, a refrigerating element wml ng duct means provd sleeve *Tor an ice traf' gint, said duct means 'fmt the side of the portion thermally 3 f; portfnn thermal-y u of the sleeve and 'fdly of the first ted with t alt-sp lected Wi` the erete affix my Sgnavire..

KEDEHLEY. 

